Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Reverse Unyo (2)

Japan, Edo.

Some immature bastards will claim Japan’s capital is Kyoto, but common sense why is the place where the screen (also called emperor) is the capital?

Of course because Japan has the island country unique black curtain politics culture even the shogun who made the emperor a screen becomes a screen again and subordinates handle the practical work on their own, but no matter of the emperor’s court governing the country instead of the shogunate just because the shogun is a screen.

“Heuhahaha!”

“Wahahahat!!”

And Lee Ha-eung who came as the communication envoy chief envoy.

Played.

Played with all might enjoying the shogunate’s highest grade reception to the heart’s content.

From the beginning Lee Ha-eung is a royal relative.

What is a royal relative? Joseon dynasty natural monument only kept alive saying don’t do anything and just diligently hatch offspring to maintain the royal line.

Lee Ha-eung was a smart royal relative, and lived associating with ruffians and fishing time. Mastering all sorts of miscellaneous skills including drinking singing dancing was an extremely natural thing.

Even to such him Edo was surprising.

‘Japan was such a developed country!’

A capital more bustling and huge than Hanyang.

Distribution where freshly caught sashimi is immediately conveyed even inside the capital.

Streets looking overflowing with vitality and all sorts of culture surging.

Even while enjoying all sorts of entertainment Heungseon-gun’s head was becoming complicated.

‘An island bigger than Joseon. Land where farming is better. Population 30 million.’

Putting down the gaze of despising as barbarians who don’t know civilization and facing reality what comes is fear of the weight class difference.

Meanwhile, the shogunate people entertaining Heungseon-gun were the same in the head being enormously complicated.

“Joseon’s royal?”

“Not just a royal. Said to be a powerful subject within three fingers in Joseon.”

“Originally there was a guy called Kin the highest powerful subject in Joseon, received the king’s secret order at night and crushed Kin’s head with an iron mace then rose to the position of below one person above ten thousand people with that merit.”

“Then isn’t it dairo (the shogunate’s highest position. A kind of chancellor)! Joseon’s dairo came directly to Edo?”

Several levels above the communication envoy Joseon conventionally sent.

No, the shogunate was astonished from the point that one of Joseon’s highest power holders came directly by ship.

If a somewhat high person came would have swaggered saying ‘Haha! Look! Isn’t Joseon respecting our shogunate this much!’ but since Joseon’s number two came now it became reception with life on the line unable to casually play the mouth. If just one thing wrong immediately a serious diplomatic problem occurs?

So tried to dig why on earth came by poking indirectly here and there, but the guy called Heungseon-gun avoided all those questions truly like a cunning snake. Could not distinguish whether person or oil eel.

“Surprised that Joseon holds such huge Western ships.”

“Drew a few this time. Since the fact that the country’s rise and fall depends on the sea is clear from now on, although not as much as your country Japan our Joseon is also a country with three sides sea? We also intend to advance to the sea more actively.”

“If the sea our Japan knows best more than anyone. Perhaps if your country needs help can actively help. Under the premise that it is not rude-”

“Rude! Aren’t Joseon and Japan comrades who faced Toyotomi together? We lack sailors, if Japan has people left and seek help that also seems a matter of friendship deepening more.”

What?

Joseon will obediently receive help?

Comrades who faced Toyotomi again what sound?

‘Even Japanese bastards this strong and prosperous. Must be more careful.’

‘What are Joseon bastards’ intentions? Why came all the way to Edo? Self-display?’

Each other’s blood dried tightly, but no matter of showing it.

The banquet welcoming the communication envoy was becoming much grander.

***

Im Sangok.

Joseon’s greatest tycoon.

In Joseon that despised merchants just breathing, Im Sangok was a very unique figure.

The words Joseon’s greatest tycoon in other words means defeated all competitors and enemies, and while doing so not caught flaws by high persons.

However Im Sangok went one step further here and also bought great popularity from the masses and subordinates, neither hated by Joseon’s power holders nor too clung, and even held official posts.

Worldly wisdom that reached the realm of god.

While doing so a fighting god who won all fights.

Number 1 K-national pride content that filmed national prestige promotion overseas writing the legend of Beijing ginseng arson.

“This person is precisely Joseon’s ginseng king. Joseon’s greatest rich man and a person who even flying birds fall.”

“Aheo. Too much exaggeration.”

“My goodness! A merchant joined even the communication envoy delegation?!”

“The country lord truly cherishes this person. Now Joseon merchants can also hold official posts so from now on merchants’ status will also change?”

Among those who followed with Im Sangok there were quite a few Dongnae merchants, Nae merchants who engaged in trade with Japan from before.

Im Sangok receiving interpretation from these Nae merchants ran around various places in Edo, and deeply pondered how to unfold trade with Japan in the future.

“Perhaps is there a problem when trading with Joseon?”

“...Can I speak?”

“Of course. I rose to this position with only trust for a lifetime, so as long as I am here absolutely no matter of making the trading partner eat water or whatever.”

“Joseon people delay payment as if eating rice, promise to sell high-grade ginseng and send low-quality ginseng with roots attached with glue, even throw bellflower saying will sell ginseng frequently! What kind of bastards are these?!”

“...Perhaps possible to explain?”

“Keuheum! There, the one who got deceived is the idiot... originally the ability to distinguish such things is all skill. In the market the seller and buyer compete-”

And Im Sangok realized the fact that Joseon’s brand reliability in Japan is miserable to North Joseon level. Even in the 21st century no way Joseon merchants who see their own people as pushovers and gouge eyes will do business honestly against barbarians or whatever?

Since he a Man merchant meddling in Nae merchant matters is also that so setting this part aside for now, the change in trade between Joseon and Japan was quite worth being wary of.

In the old days Joseon did intermediary trade between China and Japan and left quite solid profits, but from some moment China and Japan began direct trade and Joseon’s trade with Japan walked the path of decline.

Highest grade Chinese items direct trade.

Succeeding in domestic production of ginseng and raw silk Joseon’s export items also downward trend.

Then what on earth are Joseon’s export goods?

Rice, beans, cotton cloth, ginseng, cowhide, cow bones, abalone, sea cucumber etc. were mainly sold. All agricultural and livestock products far from industry.

“Japanese people buy a lot of dried sea cucumber from Joseon, but even looking at the streets Japanese eating sea cucumber are not particularly visible.”

“Right? We also came to Edo for the first time...”

“Money smell is coming. Investigate.”

It did not even take three days for the arson demon to know the truth.

“Japanese bastards buy sea cucumber from Joseon and immediately sell it to China!”

“Hoho. Right.”

At this moment the sea cucumber intermediary trade connecting Joseon - Nagasaki - China ended. Im Sangok was planning not to hand over even one dish of soup called sea cucumber to Japan from now on.

Then what to sell to Japan now?

“Even swimming touching the ground would be easier than this.”

Im Sangok immediately went to find Arthur and cut to the chase from the main point without preamble.

“Can Geumseong Sanghoe buy more items?”

“How much more needed?”

“Will buy 3 times more. Anything.”

“That much?”

“If selling all to Japan fine.”

Im Sangok and Arthur smiled wickedly like the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings.

Joseon got hit by spicy redcoat fire fists and stamped the treaty of peace and commerce without hesitation. Opened the market to Britain, France, America.

But Japan that shouted irasshaimase to just a few black ships without getting beaten by Western army boots has not yet concluded a commerce treaty.

The treaty concluded with America this time is <​US-Japan Treaty of Peace>. The treaty of peace and commerce is still under discussion.

Concluding the commerce treaty does not have many years left, but that is not important.

The core of cores is that even for these few years Joseon can do intermediary trade against Japan.

“Will need many ships.”

“Of course will use Geumseong Sanghoe’s merchant ships.”

“Will send an urgent message to Hong Kong specifying to treat Joseon merchants extremely well.”

Since Joseon and Japan have been trading from long ago, Joseon merchants buying vast industrial products pouring from Western factories and throwing them into the Japanese market is no problem at all.

Even if closing the country and locking the door, anyway if going in through the back hole and doing business fine. Even if blocking Western merchants Joseon merchants just eat the intermediary distribution fee.

So free trade is right.

Anyway can buy what to buy a bit cheaper.

Arthur and Im Sangok raised a toast.

***

While Lee Ha-eung and Im Sangok were moving busily in their own ways.

What is the blue-eyed scholar who loves freedom and justice, Arthur Lee doing.

“I am proficient in all learning of East and West. This time interested in Japan’s learning so came riding the delegation like this.”

“Sincerely welcome to the emperor’s country where the sun rises. Our Japan from long ago cultivated that learning and produced many excellent scholars not at all shameful even compared to other countries.”

First academic exchange.

Do not even bring out stupid words like Christianity or conversion. My interest is learning.

- Even a passing dog won’t believe.

But Japanese people don’t know?

If don’t know... must get hit?

First, I collected all books called books in Japan.

From academic books, history books, classics to folktale collections of the streets, novels, ukiyo-e whatever. If selling to London how much money is this all.

While doing so simultaneously started underwater work.

“Looking at the folktale collections, there are many stories about Toyotomi Hideyoshi?”

“The shogunate is cracking down as much as possible, but what to do about ignorant lowborn worshiping Toyotomi as a hero?”

“Heo. Why?”

“Toyotomi was originally a lowborn guy but rose to the position of ruler of the world. Low things seem to feel homogeneity with themselves.”

Now just a hero in folktales of baby general level, but in the eyes of 21st century warrior Arthur Lee does not look like that at all.

The Meiji government that will be established after the Tokugawa shogunate collapses.

They evaluate Tokugawa as ‘traitor group that insulted the emperor’, and instead elevate Toyotomi as a model of loyal subjects. The Imjin War becomes <​attempt at enterprising overseas advance>, and not establishing a shogunate becomes a loyal subject move.

Natural words, but to Joseon people who almost perished the country because of that Toyotomi a seizure switch.

Too perfect to use as intervention justification?

“How does Lord Arthur view His Majesty the King of Joseon?”

“Speaking of that person a hero of the age and a great monarch. Realized that the country’s survival hangs on enlightenment and reform and is sincerely engaging in national power enhancement and great reform.”

“Enlightenment! Then does Lord Arthur think Japan must also open?”

“I will spare words because I don’t know well about Japan. But in the future Western powers will invade all countries in this world and try to seize interests. All countries that want to survive will each have to prepare.”

“...”

The ones I mainly met were not high officials but private figures, intellectuals, mid-low level officials.

When this Arthur the Western person who understands the East best in the world personally warned ‘invasion is not far’, everyone seemed to have hair standing on end.

Since laid the groundwork like this.

Now time for Lee Ha-eung to work.

***

Edo Castle.

“Now... truly saying?”

“His Majesty the King and the Joseon court’s will is clear.”

Finally Heungseon-gun brought out the full-scale topic.

“Westerners’ goal is clear. Already they have conquered countless countries in the world and are working them as slaves, we are also no exception.

I propose a Joseon-Japan offensive-defensive alliance representing the Joseon court.”

“Isn’t it too sudden?”

“You also experienced this time? That those foreigners are guys who do not hesitate war or invasion for the freedom of commerce and trade profits.”

When one of Joseon and Japan is invaded, the other country dispatch reinforcements!

The shogunate that has no proper army in the country seemed like the head would burst.

Lee Ha-eung managing the expression with mouth tightly closed also the same that the head seemed like it would burst.

Joint struggle against external invasion?

Funny sound. No matter how much Joseon army sharpens for a hundred days still cannot block Western army.

‘Japanese lower classes revere Toyotomi.’

‘Powerful clans revealing rebellious heart to the shogunate are all descendants of the Imjin year enemies.’

‘If they win will of course shout the second conquest of Joseon.’

The goal is only one.

In the Japanese civil war that will happen someday take the shogunate’s side and intervene and dispatch the newborn Joseon army.

Since the Joseon army is an army with the potential that suppressed Hong Gyeongrae’s rebellion even before reform, if fighting together with the shogunate can’t defeat one Japanese rebel army?

To confront Qing the back must be peaceful.

Joseon was quite sincere.

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